By: Sarah Wolfenden and Ivy Socha | Staff Writers
Annually, Salem, Massachusetts averages about 1.8 million visitors. A large majority of those visitors are doing the famed “Spooky Season,” or the period of the year immediately surrounding Halloween. Much of this popularity is due to the 1692 Salem Witch trials, and the novelty surrounding it. However, if you’re looking to visit the historical sites of the trials, you’re better off driving just a few minutes north of Salem, Massachusetts. Here, you’ll find Danvers, Massachusetts, formerly known as Salem Village: the “Salem” that we know from the famous witchcraft frenzy. What, then, is there to see in the town of Salem, if it’s not truly historically accurate? What is it that draws throngs of tourists in to crowd the streets and form lines outside of every door every fall?
Memorials
While Salem is not the true home of the famed Salem Witch Trials, the town has no shortage of memorials for the victims of the mass hysteria. The average visitor can find any number of statues, plaques, or buildings in memory of the events, but most deliberately visited, and most commonly misunderstood is the Salem Witch Trials Memorial. It can be found right next to the Charter Street Cemetery, where visitors can follow a rectangular path along a wall of the cemetery to read each of the names of the victims that were hanged in 1692 as a result of the trials. Don’t be fooled—these stone ledges, carved with the names and dates of the hangings (and in Giles Corey’s case, pressing to death), are not the true execution or burial sites of the Salem townspeople. Still, the memorials are adorned with roses, rosaries, rosemary, and other memorial or religious symbolism as visitors of Salem pay their respects to those who were wrongly accused and convicted of witchcraft: a nod to the rich history of Salem Village.
Museums
One of the classic ways to learn about the history of a place and time period is through museums and artifacts. Salem, Massachusetts is home to not one, but two major museums: the Salem Witch Museum and the Peabody Essex Museum. The Peabody Essex Museum can be found right in downtown Salem. While this museum naturally highlights the historical events that make Salem globally known, the Peabody Essex Museum also has rotating exhibitions, separate from the trials: from art galleries to film to nature and science. If you find yourself in Salem, and you happen to be tired of witches at every turn, the Peabody Essex Museum might just be a place to hide in some history. If what you’re looking for is the opposite, however, then the Salem Witch Museum should be your next stop. The Salem Witch Museum provides guided tours and immersive experiences in the history of the events that took place in 1692; this museum is entirely focused on witches, witchcraft, and the witch trials. Be sure to book your tickets in advance, though! The Salem Witch Museum sells out almost daily near the peak of Halloween season!
Memorabilia
Most of what visitors will be inundated with, will be novelty. Gift shops, boutiques, vendor fares, restaurants, cafes, bars all themed to witchcraft, hauntings, horror, and Halloween. It is the New England Diagon Alley for all of your clothing, jewelry, tea, incense, tarot, and herb needs. Outside of the general shopping, make reservations for a restaurant, or hop in a line for a cafe or food cart or booth. Salem promises something appealing for every pallet.
Beyond money spending opportunities, the streets of Salem are packed with street performers. Many of which are dressed in costumes and elaborate makeup for photo opportunities, while the other selections are what the average person thinks of as performers. Dance troupes, singers and musicians, and the occasional magician or slight of hand master.
The guests of Salem also contribute to the atmosphere. Yes, they crowded the streets, and may feel in the road and in the way, but their enthusiasm for the town, and also the holiday of Halloween, is part of what makes the atmosphere. At every turn, there are people (and pets) in costumes or elaborate make up. They aren’t dressed up to be paid, they are dressed up because they love it.
While Salem, Massachusetts may not be exactly what you were expecting for a visit, especially as the season approaches Halloween, that does not mean that it isn’t worth a visit. Well-planned and scheduled in advance, you can see everything you want to see in a day trip, a long weekend, or even a more relaxed week-long trip. Every visitor will find a taste of what they want to see, whether it’s history or contemporary witchcraft and culture, you are bound to make your own adventure.
Photos provided by authors.
